Bittersweet
by MagickBeing
Summary: Contains a variety of stories—some are sad some are angry and some are bittersweet.. but they have one thing in common; love. What would you do if it was everything? Or if it tried breaking you? Challenge!fic: Ten drabbles, all to different songs.
1. Honey

**Bittersweet  
**by MagickBeing

**Challenge: **

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble. You start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

**Author's note/warning: **Swiped this challenge from **Wings of Corrugated Irony** because I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I figured it would help me deal with my writer's block, and in a way, it did. Like her, I broke rule three shamelessly, and ended up playing each song five times or so, until my inspiration left and I was content with the ending. Because each drabble is a story in its own, I've splitted it up into chapters. Some of the drabbles are sad, angry—some are sweet and some are _bitter_sweet. Hence the title. Some deal with cheating or abuse and others deal with comfort and love. Some are post-Hogwarts and some are _in _Hogwarts, but none of them follow J.K. Rowling's books in their entirety, but all of them have one thing in common; slash. That's right folks, slash. Namely Harry and Draco.

You've been warned.

**Rating: **M. In other words, mature.

**Disclaimer: **Each chapter is a drabble to a different song—therefore unrelated to the previous chapter—and each song belongs to their respective artists. Like the Harry Potter fandom belongs to J.K. Rowling. In both cases, no copyright infringement was intended. The song for this chapter was Honey by the Hush Sound.

* * *

**Honey **- Hush Sound

_Spin your body around_

_now your feet are gonna hit the ground._

_I am growing sleepless_

_and you're out of lullabies._

_Honey, honey, honey,_

_you're the death of me._

The smell of firewhiskey, bitter and hard, rolled off of Harry in waves, contaminating the air and sinking into his clothes as he automatically caught his stumbling lover. Draco frowned and sighed, his expression a combination of hurt and anger. He had promised not to drink anymore—he had recognized the person alcohol made him become and had sworn to conquer the addiction. Before things had started, Draco had been well aware of the complications. He had been aware of how hard things were going to be, aware of how many times Harry might fall and aware that he would have to be his support. And he had tried. He had been there as much as he could, as often as he could, but there were days Draco could barely pull _himself _together. How was he supposed to help Harry, too?

"Draco love! I was just... just looking for you," slurred Harry, his breath heavy with alcohol. It stinged Draco's eyes and he turned away, gently steering the other from the hall toward the couch.

"And now you've found me," he said lightly, his voice flat.

Harry didn't notice and soon they were on the couch, a pile of tangled limbs as Harry tripped on the rug and fell on top of him.

"Don't push me!" said Harry, anger leaking into his voice. He shoved Draco's shoulder, hard, and untangled himself as quickly as he could, considering.

Draco visibly flinched.

"Sorry," he said automatically, well aware that the trip hadn't been his fault—and well aware that it was better to play along.

Harry frowned, though the expression was different, twisted, and stared over at him with dark eyes.

"No you're not," he said slowly, his tone accusing.

Draco swallowed, vaguely realizing that his wand was upstairs beside his bed on the nightstand.

"I am," Draco insisted carefully, pointedly looking away, silently admitting defeat.

It was moments later that Harry's fist connected with his jaw, sending him reeling sideways, back and onto the floor. He silently grimaced and looked up before another blow was landed, this time to his stomach. Automatically, he curled into himself, his hands moving to his stomach, wrapping around his abdomen and holding himself together.

For a drunk, Harry had surprising aim.

He knew better to fight and instead squeezed his eyes shut, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from screaming out. He willed the darkness to come.


	2. Never Good Enough

**Bittersweet  
**by MagickBeing

**Challenge: **

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble. You start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

**Author's note/warning: **Swiped this challenge from **Wings of Corrugated Irony** because I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I figured it would help me deal with my writer's block, and in a way, it did. Like her, I broke rule three shamelessly, and ended up playing each song five times or so, until my inspiration left and I was content with the ending. Because each drabble is a story in its own, I've splitted it up into chapters. Some of the drabbles are sad, angry—some are sweet and some are _bitter_sweet. Hence the title. Some deal with cheating or abuse and others deal with comfort and love. Some are post-Hogwarts and some are _in _Hogwarts, but none of them follow J.K. Rowling's books in their entirety, but all of them have one thing in common; slash. That's right folks, slash. Namely Harry and Draco.

You've been warned.

**Rating: **M. In other words, mature.

**Disclaimer: **Each chapter is a drabble to a different song—therefore unrelated to the previous chapter—and each song belongs to their respective artists. Like the Harry Potter fandom belongs to J.K. Rowling. In both cases, no copyright infringement was intended. The song for this chapter was Never Good Enough by Die Trying.

* * *

**Never Good Enough - **Die Trying

_The words you say they are so mean,_

_the way they cut-cut,_

_the way they hurt me_

_as if I am never good enough for you, for you._

Their relationship had never been what one would consider normal. Harry was well aware of that—and had long ago accepted the fact that it was from anything but a story book. Draco was _not_ his prince charming, clad in armor and willing to ride horseback to save him from the evil witch, or in this case, wizard. And Harry was okay with that.

Most days.

There were days like this, though, where Draco would disappear for hours on end in the middle of the night and Harry would be left with nothing but his own thoughts and the cold, hard truth. Draco surrounded himself with 'friends' Harry had never met and probably never would—friends that called on Draco in the middle of the night and kept him out for hours, doing Merlin knew what, Merlin knew where. Friends that brought Draco back smelling like something sweet and bitter, a mixture of cigarette smoke and stale cologne. Friends that made Draco distant and cold on his return home, unwilling to put his arms around his husband and unwilling to speak.

It hadn't always been like that.

There had been a point in their relationship that they had been very much in love—or rather, Draco had at least had the decency to pretend to be such.

But what was then wasn't any longer—so what was the cold, hard truth precisely?

Well, the cold, hard truth of the matter was that Harry was never good enough and, probably, never had been.


	3. Who's Going Home With You Tonight?

**Bittersweet  
**by MagickBeing

**Challenge: **

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble. You start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

**Author's note/warning: **Swiped this challenge from **Wings of Corrugated Irony** because I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I figured it would help me deal with my writer's block, and in a way, it did. Like her, I broke rule three shamelessly, and ended up playing each song five times or so, until my inspiration left and I was content with the ending. Because each drabble is a story in its own, I've splitted it up into chapters. Some of the drabbles are sad, angry—some are sweet and some are _bitter_sweet. Hence the title. Some deal with cheating or abuse and others deal with comfort and love. Some are post-Hogwarts and some are _in _Hogwarts, but none of them follow J.K. Rowling's books in their entirety, but all of them have one thing in common; slash. That's right folks, slash. Namely Harry and Draco.

You've been warned.

**Rating: **M. In other words, mature.

**Disclaimer: **Each chapter is a drabble to a different song—therefore unrelated to the previous chapter—and each song belongs to their respective artists. Like the Harry Potter fandom belongs to J.K. Rowling. In both cases, no copyright infringement was intended. The song for this chapter was Who's Going Home With You Tonight? by Trapt.

* * *

**Who's Going Home With You Tonight? **- Trapt

_Don't think we ever really got it right_

_both you and I have always kept it bottled up inside._

_Can you show me what it feels like to give yourself away?_

He stared down at it with dark eyes, his breathing thick and uneven. The sound of a door opening and closing across the street caused his eyes to flick upwards, his fingers tightening around the paper in his hand. He set his jaw and exhaled deeply, slowly through his nose, thoughts accusing.

He was just like he remembered—dark hair and eyes, articulate, pointed features and a slight, uneven build. His clothes were loose but fit him well, accentuating what figure he _did _have—but Harry couldn't focus on him. For the most part, he stared at the face he had grown all too accustomed to—light haired and fair skinned, he almost looked out of place beside the other. Well, he would have if his stance hadn't _oozed _confidence—would have if his arm wasn't wrapped around the other's waist, pulling him close as they hesitated at the end of the street.

They kissed and he turned away, anger making his vision blurry and pulse pound.

How _could _he?

Staring down at the photograph again, it was as if the scene he had just witnessed was playing itself over and over—a coveting, lingering look and then they were beside each other, embracing, tilting their faces appropriately until—

He looked away, green eyes dark, and in a fit of rage, crumpled the photograph and dropped it into the gutter.

Fingering the promise ring on his left hand, Harry turned away and started across the street, his expression no longer wounded but determined.


	4. Amnzerø

**Bittersweet  
**by MagickBeing

**Challenge: **

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble. You start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

**Author's note/warning: **Swiped this challenge from **Wings of Corrugated Irony** because I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I figured it would help me deal with my writer's block, and in a way, it did. Like her, I broke rule three shamelessly, and ended up playing each song five times or so, until my inspiration left and I was content with the ending. Because each drabble is a story in its own, I've splitted it up into chapters. Some of the drabbles are sad, angry—some are sweet and some are _bitter_sweet. Hence the title. Some deal with cheating or abuse and others deal with comfort and love. Some are post-Hogwarts and some are _in _Hogwarts, but none of them follow J.K. Rowling's books in their entirety, but all of them have one thing in common; slash. That's right folks, slash. Namely Harry and Draco.

You've been warned.

**Rating: **M. In other words, mature.

**Disclaimer: **Each chapter is a drabble to a different song—therefore unrelated to the previous chapter—and each song belongs to their respective artists. Like the Harry Potter fandom belongs to J.K. Rowling. In both cases, no copyright infringement was intended. The song for this chapter was Amnzerø by Kidneythieves.

* * *

**Amnzerø - **Kidneythieves

_Thought, interrupting thought._

_Close a door._

_Open one, one._

_One._

His life had never been picture perfect, despite what some thought—but it could have admittedly been worse, too, and today was one of those days it felt like it _was. _He felt like his whole life was coming to pieces around him, shattering as they hit the floor, drowning out all other thought—all hope, all escape. To say that he was simply going through the motions would be pretty much the truth of the matter. Each second that passed, each piece that shattered, the reality of things sunk in. His father was gone. Dead by the Dementor's kiss—and his mother? His mother had taken pills. As distant as their relationship had been, his mother couldn't live without his father. They were two parts of a whole—she had always been very smart, a bit rebellious at times, but neurotic and utterly dependent. And now his mother was in a coma, blind and mute and his father might have well been in one too.

Okay, so _technically _they were both alive, but not in the way that mattered. They both still physically existed, but they couldn't speak for themselves, couldn't act or even move. Talking to them, staring into their eyes—it was all pointless, because nothing stared back. They were ghosts of what were, living memories that he couldn't get rid of and felt ashamed of for wanting to.

And shame was always something his family had frowned upon.

It _really _hit him that night, alone in an empty corridor past curfew.

He had insisted on making his prefect rounds, intent on finding _some _distraction to block out the noise. But things were quiet, too quiet, and then he was stopping in mid step, pathetic and breaking. _Breaking. _He fell back, his legs giving out, and narrowly caught himself on the nearby wall. His eyes burned and there was something in his throat—he bit his lip, feeble and weak, so bloody weak, and slid to the floor.

Pulling his knees to his chest, he squeezed his eyes shut and let out several short, shallow breaths, oblivious to his audience until there was a warmth beside him and two strong arms pulling him away from the wall. Pulling him close. And he opened his eyes, ashamed and pathetic and broken.

Grey eyes met green and, amongst the turmoil in his mind, through the noise, he heard a door shut.

And another one open.

Grey eyes met green and he stopped fighting and then his face was buried in his shoulder and he let the tears come.


	5. Your Evil Soul

**Bittersweet  
**by MagickBeing

**Challenge: **

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble. You start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

**Author's note/warning: **Swiped this challenge from **Wings of Corrugated Irony** because I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I figured it would help me deal with my writer's block, and in a way, it did. Like her, I broke rule three shamelessly, and ended up playing each song five times or so, until my inspiration left and I was content with the ending. Because each drabble is a story in its own, I've splitted it up into chapters. Some of the drabbles are sad, angry—some are sweet and some are _bitter_sweet. Hence the title. Some deal with cheating or abuse and others deal with comfort and love. Some are post-Hogwarts and some are _in _Hogwarts, but none of them follow J.K. Rowling's books in their entirety, but all of them have one thing in common; slash. That's right folks, slash. Namely Harry and Draco.

You've been warned.

**Rating: **M. In other words, mature.

**Disclaimer: **Each chapter is a drabble to a different song—therefore unrelated to the previous chapter—and each song belongs to their respective artists. Like the Harry Potter fandom belongs to J.K. Rowling. In both cases, no copyright infringement was intended. The song for this chapter was Your Evil Soul by the Spill Canvas.

* * *

**Your Evil Soul –** The Spill Canvas

_These pills aren't working anymore._

_My guts are spilling out onto the floor_

_of a nightmare you wouldn't believe,_

_of a nightmare you could not conceive._

_A soft moan—he ran his fingers across soft skin, over goosebumps and along curves._

He knew it was wrong to be there now.

Still.

He knew he should leave—tell him off, stop bottling everything up and let it explode. He knew he should give up, knew he needed to... but he also knew that he couldn't. He had always been starved for affection and when affection came, he had never known what to do with it. Had never known how to respond. Things with Draco though, they were different. He never worried about responding—he just did. He gave himself into the feeling and let his fingers and mouth and _heart _guide him.

_A bite to the neck and his eyes slipped shut._

He had always been under the impression that the feeling was returned and it had been days now, weeks, that he had known differently.

Draco had been cheating on him and he should really leave now, but he couldn't, because even if Draco didn't need him, _he _needed Draco and it was okay to be selfish _sometimes _wasn't it?

Even if it was killing him, strangling him and beating him and _killing_ him on the inside?

At least Draco was open with his deceptions now. And it wasn't like Draco was completely heartless. He still cared. At least, he acted like he did.

_Fingers worked against the buttons of his pants and he groaned, curling back into the bed and lifting his hips._

He still acted like he did, dammit.

_Staring into each other's eyes, their lips met—hard and passionate before the other pulled back, dragging his mouth down his neck._

And really, Harry was okay with acting.

_He shivered, more goosebumps, and Draco's mouth moved to his ear._

_His breath was hot and heavy and beautiful. So beautiful—_

So he stayed, even when he shouldn't.

"_I love you," he muttered, kissing along his neck again._

And he probably always would because that's what love was about, wasn't it?

Sacrifice?


	6. Skin for Scars

**Bittersweet  
**by MagickBeing

**Challenge: **

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble. You start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

**Author's note/warning: **Swiped this challenge from **Wings of Corrugated Irony** because I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I figured it would help me deal with my writer's block, and in a way, it did. Like her, I broke rule three shamelessly, and ended up playing each song five times or so, until my inspiration left and I was content with the ending. Because each drabble is a story in its own, I've splitted it up into chapters. Some of the drabbles are sad, angry—some are sweet and some are _bitter_sweet. Hence the title. Some deal with cheating or abuse and others deal with comfort and love. Some are post-Hogwarts and some are _in _Hogwarts, but none of them follow J.K. Rowling's books in their entirety, but all of them have one thing in common; slash. That's right folks, slash. Namely Harry and Draco.

You've been warned.

**Rating: **M. In other words, mature.

**Disclaimer: **Each chapter is a drabble to a different song—therefore unrelated to the previous chapter—and each song belongs to their respective artists. Like the Harry Potter fandom belongs to J.K. Rowling. In both cases, no copyright infringement was intended. The song for this chapter was Skin for Scars by Cauterize.

* * *

_**Skin for Scars - Cauterize**_

_Tie these hands, they shake too much_

_to hold you, to hold you._

_With wandering eyes it's so hard to watch you,_

_to watch out for you,_

_watch out for you. _

He traced the thin, barely visible lines across his smooth skin. His touch was feather light, barely there and he exhaled slowly, quietly. The lights were out but there was a small, pale sliver of moonlight that streamed in from the window and splayed across his skin—he looked as if he were glowing. It looked as if the lines were mere indents, or better, illusions, and his eyes flicked up this face. His hair played against his face, a golden halo, and his eyelashes left soft shadows against his cheeks.

An angel.

_His _angel.

Swallowing hard, and with a quickened heartbeat, Harry leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Draco's forehead.

His fingers found Draco's wrist and checked his pulse, a soft but steady thrum under even softer skin.

He imagined the scars there, diagonal scars, and his touch retreated.

Pulling back, mind set, Harry slipped from bed.

He padded quietly across the room, across the cool wooden floor, and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind himself. He headed downstairs, carefully skipping the third stair from the top—the one that had a habit of squeaking—and went straight to the outer most hall. He slipped into the coat closet and withdrew his wand, quietly revealing the suitcase hidden against the wall there.

Harry grabbed his shoes, haphazardly sliding them on, a pointless but automatic action. A needed action.

He turned, looking around, his eyes catching on a small figurine of what had once been two men kissing. It had been transfigured on their wedding day—and untransfigured just hours before. Every photo with him in it had been removed as well, every piece of clothing he wore burned—it would be like he had never existed.

Carefully, he reached into his pocket and fingered the two wedding bands there—with a sigh, he grabbed his luggage and left, carefully locking the door behind himself. He stared at the knob for a long moment before turning away and making his way down the street. Apparating with a snap some ways away, it was on an entirely different continent that Harry kept a boat. His boat, of course—and it was in a foreign sea that Harry loaded his things and drilled a hole in the bottom of it with magic.

It was under a starless sky that Harry held his wand to his head and ended it all, setting it up as a boat accident, should anyone ever find him.

But they wouldn't.

Because it was like he never existed.


	7. Message to the World

**Bittersweet  
**by MagickBeing

**Challenge: **

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble. You start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

**Author's note/warning: **Swiped this challenge from **Wings of Corrugated Irony** because I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I figured it would help me deal with my writer's block, and in a way, it did. Like her, I broke rule three shamelessly, and ended up playing each song five times or so, until my inspiration left and I was content with the ending. Because each drabble is a story in its own, I've splitted it up into chapters. Some of the drabbles are sad, angry—some are sweet and some are _bitter_sweet. Hence the title. Some deal with cheating or abuse and others deal with comfort and love. Some are post-Hogwarts and some are _in _Hogwarts, but none of them follow J.K. Rowling's books in their entirety, but all of them have one thing in common; slash. That's right folks, slash. Namely Harry and Draco.

You've been warned.

**Rating: **M. In other words, mature.

**Disclaimer: **Each chapter is a drabble to a different song—therefore unrelated to the previous chapter—and each song belongs to their respective artists. Like the Harry Potter fandom belongs to J.K. Rowling. In both cases, no copyright infringement was intended. The song for this chapter was Message to the World by Story of the Year

* * *

**Message to the World – **Story of the Year

_Another world collides, will we open the door?_

_A message to the world, it seems like_

_everyone has a God standing up for what we think we know._

_Do we know?_

It was really all quite predictable.

The battlefield was an image right out of a movie—an old Hollywood one, maybe, made by the Americans.

A storm was moving in and thick clouds blanketed the sky, promising rain but never fulfilling, and the sun just _had _to make its presence known as well, turning the sky into a haunting shade of silver. Sweat dripped down his face and burned his eyes but he couldn't brush it away—he was running, trying to make his way through the battlefield and to his mark, narrowly missing several curses on the way. A flash of green nearly nicked his shoulder, followed by another one, and he escaped to the ground, falling down on his knees and sending his own curse through the air and toward his attacker. The flash of green hit the cloaked figure squarely in the chest and then he was on the ground as well, perfectly still.

Adrenaline coursed through Harry's veins and his heart pounded in his chest—unlike the war depicted in the American movies, this battlefield held no glory. It only held pain and suffering as more people wilted around him, falling to the ground as their life was cut short. These were someone's children—someone's daughters and sons and sisters and brothers. Every person that fell to the ground was someone's friend or lover and they were dying in vain, all because some mad man had taken it upon himself to try changing the world to fit his ideals, and those in it.

Harry moved to push himself from the ground, only to be paralyzed in mid movement. He set his jaw, pain shooting through his body as a shadow moved across his body. His wand was removed from his hand and then the pain stopped, and someone tried saving him, a spell narrowly missing his attacker but it was too late and then the cloaked figure was turning away, yelling something and killing them dead.

Before Harry had time to act, their wand was against his throat.

He swallowed hard, staring up at the masked figure through broken glass.

It was too late, then.

He wouldn't get to Voldemort in time.

He wouldn't save his friends and loved ones.

He wouldn't end this war.

He would die here, a marauder to a cause long lost.

The Death Eater hesitated, though, his breathing hard and ragged—and then he did something most surprising. He reached up with his other hand and removed his mask.

Harry's heart skipped a beat and green eyes met silver, the same haunting shade as the sky.

His brow furrowed and Draco tilted his head slightly to the side, his eyes cold but questioning, and Harry nodded, a snap decision that he wouldn't live to regret. Moments later, his wand was back in his hand, but this time, the wood was hardly reassuring. Nodding again, Harry stared up at Draco with bright eyes, silently counting.

_One._

Another shot of light, shooting just over Draco's head, but he hardly even flinched. Just millimeters away, a red-headed friend fell to the ground, eyes open and empty.

_Two._

Harry's heartbeat echoed in his head and then Draco's mouth twitched into the slightest of smiles, breath taking and rare. Both men raised their wands.

_Three._

And Harry smiled back before the green light overtook them both.


	8. Cold

**Bittersweet  
**by MagickBeing

**Challenge: **

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble. You start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

**Author's note/warning: **Swiped this challenge from **Wings of Corrugated Irony** because I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I figured it would help me deal with my writer's block, and in a way, it did. Like her, I broke rule three shamelessly, and ended up playing each song five times or so, until my inspiration left and I was content with the ending. Because each drabble is a story in its own, I've splitted it up into chapters. Some of the drabbles are sad, angry—some are sweet and some are _bitter_sweet. Hence the title. Some deal with cheating or abuse and others deal with comfort and love. Some are post-Hogwarts and some are _in _Hogwarts, but none of them follow J.K. Rowling's books in their entirety, but all of them have one thing in common; slash. That's right folks, slash. Namely Harry and Draco.

You've been warned.

**Rating: **M. In other words, mature.

**Disclaimer: **Each chapter is a drabble to a different song—therefore unrelated to the previous chapter—and each song belongs to their respective artists. Like the Harry Potter fandom belongs to J.K. Rowling. In both cases, no copyright infringement was intended. The song for this chapter was Cold by Crossfade.

* * *

**Cold – **Crossfade

_Looking back at me I see_

that I never really got it right.

_I never stopped to think of you.  
_

_I'm always wrapped up in  
_

_things I cannot win.  
_

_You are the antidote that gets me by,  
_

_something strong, like a drug that gets me high._

Apparently, their wedding had been beautiful. Surprisingly elegant, too, from what he had heard—with glittering white curtains and doves. No one said it, but no one needed to; Harry foot the bill, no doubt trying to give her the wedding every little girl dreamed off. Another unneeded, silent apology. The Weasley's had been all too happy to take him back with opened arms—far too happy, and willing, to forgive him for what ever past transgressions, to believe that it would never happen again.

And no matter what he had done to try changing that, that was exactly the case.

It wouldn't be happening again, despite his best and hardest intentions.

Their honeymoon was postponed. Apparently, one of Ginny's older brother's—Charlie, was it?—had been unable to make it the day of, so they were holding off for the photographer.

Draco wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

He was lucky and he was one of the first to admit that.

Especially when he spotted Harry outside the night after—alone.

He knew he wasn't supposed to be there. Mrs. Weasley, that red-headed piss ant, would probably scalp him alive if he were caught—but he couldn't let things end like this. There had been too many times, too many things that he should have said and didn't. He _wouldn't _let things end like this.

He apparated just off of their property and headed into the outer most part of their grounds, eyes glinting in the dying sunlight.

"Psst. Potter."

It was straight out of a movie, or one of those sappy romance books his mother read—Harry turned, their eyes locking, and everything stopped. They stared at each other for a long moment, quiet, until the picture changed and realization dawned on Harry's face. His expression shifted, turned cold, and Draco automatically jutted out his chin, defensive. The other moved closer and Draco silently thanked what ever Gods existed for this chance.

He knew it was his last one.

The other neared, stopping a good few millimeters away from him. Crickets chirped around them, and behind Harry, the lanterns in the Weasley's yard flicked on.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Draco flashed him a smile, heart pounding.

"I couldn't bear to miss your wedding day," he said quietly. Harry scoffed, clearly mistaking the sentiment as sarcasm, and Draco tried pressing on before his chance was blown. "I wanted to give you something, b—"

"I'm not interested in what ever it is you want to _give _me," Harry interrupted, voice cool. "Now leave, before I give the Ministry a call regarding a trespasser."

"Harry—please."

Draco fought hard to keep the sadness out of his voice. He wouldn't use his pain as a bargaining chip. He was the guilty one, not Harry.

"No," said Harry, his eyes hard. He took a step back, toward the burrow, and started to turn away. "It's over, Malfoy. Get out of here."

Draco panicked.

"Harry—please, you owe me—"

Harry's eyes flashed and he turned away abruptly, his silence saying what he refused to.

_I owe you?_

_Draco exhaled slowly, swallowing down the burn. In those few, short moments, the sun had continued its fall behind the hills, and he stared into the approaching darkness with equally dark eyes. A blurred form and he could see someone coming outside—he stepped back, moving his body close to a tree for cover. Red hair caught the lantern's light, glinting like copper, and Draco watched as the two met in the middle of the yard. Harry reached out and embraced her and a part of Draco fell away._

He swallowed.

"I just wanted to apologize," he recited quietly, his voice nearly blending in with that of the cricket's. "I want you back, Harry—but I know I can't always have what I want."

Ginny's arms wrapped around Harry and visibly pulled him closer, her head settling on his shoulder.

"I've always been so selfish, hurting you without realizing it—well, it's your turn to be selfish. Just know that I'm sorry, that hurting you had never been my intention."

He hesitated, withdrawing a small parcel from his pocket. He laid it out in his hand—the small ivory dove chirped up at him, its eyes glittering by the sunset, one brown and one green. Its wings fluttered gently in Draco's hand, powered by magic, tickling his skin, and his eyes traced along the small, barely visible writing across its body. It was too dark to read it right then, but he knew the inscription well.

_Ginny Weasley-Potter and Harry Potter, May 17__th__ of 2007. _

_Cherish each other forever and always. May love, and life, be kind, _

_and give you the power to capture even your furthest dreams._

Draco glanced up, watching as the two moved back into the burrow, hands interlaced.

"I suppose I just didn't realize what I had until I lost it," he continued quietly. "I love you and always will—and I love you enough to stop fighting for you. Your hers now. You deserve to be happy. So be happy."

With a slight, aching smile, Draco leaned down and set the dove at the base of the tree. It chirped up at him and bounced across the ground, toward the burrow. He watched it for a long moment before straightening, staring up at the house with dark eyes as the lights began to fade.

"Goodbye, Harry."


	9. Frozen

**Bittersweet  
**by MagickBeing

**Challenge: **

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble. You start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

**Author's note/warning: **Swiped this challenge from **Wings of Corrugated Irony** because I thought it sounded like a fun idea. I figured it would help me deal with my writer's block, and in a way, it did. Like her, I broke rule three shamelessly, and ended up playing each song five times or so, until my inspiration left and I was content with the ending. Because each drabble is a story in its own, I've splitted it up into chapters. Some of the drabbles are sad, angry—some are sweet and some are _bitter_sweet. Hence the title. Some deal with cheating or abuse and others deal with comfort and love. Some are post-Hogwarts and some are _in _Hogwarts, but none of them follow J.K. Rowling's books in their entirety, but all of them have one thing in common; slash. That's right folks, slash. Namely Harry and Draco.

You've been warned.

**Rating: **M. In other words, mature.

**Disclaimer: **Each chapter is a drabble to a different song—therefore unrelated to the previous chapter—and each song belongs to their respective artists. Like the Harry Potter fandom belongs to J.K. Rowling. In both cases, no copyright infringement was intended. The song for this chapter was Frozen by Within Temptation.

* * *

**Frozen - **Within Temptation

_I can't feel my senses._

_I just feel cold._

_All the colours seem to fade away,_

_I can't reach my soul._

The battle raged on and Draco let out a low growl, frustrated. Through his peripheal vision, he saw another shot of green light cutting through the air toward him—he turned and raised his wand, only to have it cut short as it was deflected by another flash of light. Automatically, he turned, eyes hard as they caught on Harry.

Bloody hero.

_I love you._

_No, you don't. You love the idea of me, maybe, but how could you ever love a monster?_

_You're not a monster. Don't let them get to you, Dra—_

_Them? This is my own decision, Potter. I want to make that clear._

_No. I'm not letting you walk away from this!_

Quickly deflecting another spell, which just narrowly missed him, Harry's eyes met his and Draco scowled, glaring.

It had been The Dark Lord's idea to fight without hoods—it made it harder for the side of the Light to sort them from their own people. At least from behind. He was beginning to dislike the idea more and more, though, as the seconds ticked by because without the anonimity of his hood, Harry wouldn't let go. Why couldn't he just get it through his thick skull? A person cut in front of him, blocking Harry from his sights, and Draco raised his wand without thought, a blast of green light shooting from the end like liquid fire.

Ron fell, eyes empty and cold, and Draco looked up to meet the disbelieving gaze of his ex-lover.

He smirked.

_It's too late. I already have. Don't you see? This was just a game, Potter, a ploy to get you closer to the Dark Lord._

_I don't believe you._

_I really don't care._

_Yes you do! I'm still here, aren't I? I'm still safe? If this was a ploy, then shouldn't I be tied up somewhere?_

_Don't. Don't—_

_Don't what, ask questions?_

_No. Don't question my charity._

Realization dawned across Harry's face and his expression contorted into one of sheer, cold fury—Draco's smirk shifted into a smile, cool and taunting. Harry moved forward, eyes dark and haunted.

Finally.

_Then you _do _care._

_Not about you, Potter._

_Then why am I still here?_

_It doesn't matter. You won't be for long. I'm leaving._

Harry stilled just milimeters in front of him, his wand raised. Despite the fury written across his face, though, he hesitated—Draco deliberately moved closer, stepping over Weasley's dead body.

"Do it," he challenged, raising his hands to his side. "Kill me."

Harry visibly flinched, some of his fury melting away at the sound of his voice. He seemed to be fighting with himself and then he was lowering his wand and Draco silently swore.

"Come on, Potter," he taunted, eyes flashing, "Are you really going to let me just _walk away?"_

_Are you insane or just plain suicidal?_

_Maybe both. _

_Draco—_

Harry set his jaw, his wand stilling in mid air. He licked his lips, searching Draco's face.

"Are you insane or just plain suicidal?"

Draco smirked.

"Are you stupid or just a coward?" he asked in return, voice hard.

Harry flinched again, a line forming between his eyes.

_No. Every kiss, every _fuck _was a lie, Potter. Accept it and move on._

_You don't mean th—_

A flash of green caught Draco's eye from his peripheal vision again—he turned and then it was whizzing through the air from behind him, past him and toward Harry and he turned back, realization dawning on the other's face. Everything felt as if it were going in slow motion—Draco's heart pounded in his chest and he couldn't think straight. Harry raised his wand again but it was close, so close, _too _close and without thought, Draco was moving forward, running—

_Stupefy! Now... goodbye, Potter._

The last thing he saw was a flash of green light and then the darkness came.

_Goodbye, Potter._

_Goodbye._


End file.
